


dreamscape

by allechant



Series: ars goetia [4]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24212917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allechant/pseuds/allechant
Summary: her dreams were the only place where she could be honest with herself.
Relationships: Main Character/Solomon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)
Series: ars goetia [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738339
Comments: 40
Kudos: 177





	1. Chapter 1

She didn’t think she’d seen such a soft smile on his face before. The loving look in his eyes took her breath away – her heart stuttered.

He cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing gently against her face. She found herself leaning into his palm, and his skin was pleasantly warm. “You’re cold,” he breathed, and she stepped a little closer to him, leaning her forehead against his chest.

His other arm slid around her, hugging her close, and he leant his chin on top of her head. She felt protected like this, tucked against him. “I never thought you could be so gentle,” she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. “Since most of the time, you’re kind of a jerk.” He laughed, and she closed her eyes, inhaling his scent.

“Don’t you like it when I tease you, though?” he asked, running his fingers through her hair, and a little reluctantly she nodded, looping her arms around his waist. She could drown in him. “I don’t talk like that to just anyone, you know.”

He sounded serious now, and she glanced up, meeting his gaze. He was studying her, and she couldn’t read the look in his eyes. She struggled for words. “What are you doing here, really? Why are you in the Devildom?” she finally asked.

“I’m an exchange student like you. No other reason,” he answered. She pouted, and he smiled, pushing her fringe away from her eyes. “Do you really need to know that? Isn’t it enough for us to spend time together, enjoying each other’s company?”

She hesitated. He wasn’t wrong. Did she need to know? She didn’t, not exactly – but it was frustrating constantly dealing with unknowns. He told her so little that it felt like he didn’t trust her sometimes. And maybe he didn’t. But she couldn’t keep living with that feeling. It was exhausting, always second-guessing him and herself.

“Do you trust me?” she asked. He paused – she saw something that looked like uncertainty flit through his beautiful eyes, and her heart sank a little.

He didn’t, did he? They had been this way for so long and even now he didn’t trust her. Why? Had she not proven time and time again that she could keep a secret?

“I do…” he started, and she looked up at him again. She found herself holding her breath as he spoke. “I do but I don’t want to burden you with the truth. If you knew who I was and what I wanted to do,” his hand pressed gently against the back of her head, pushing her face towards him, “you probably wouldn’t stay with me.”

“What makes you say that?” She closed her eyes, inhaling more of his scent. It was dizzying. “And if that’s true, isn’t it worse to keep things a secret from me?”

His grip on her tightened. “It is. And I’m sorry about that. But I want…I want to be selfish. Just this once.” She felt him sigh into her hair. “I’ve had so many lovers. But few of them lasted more than a night or two. I don’t want to lose you next.”

“Do you love me?” The question slipped out, and she heard his breath catch. She was tense with anticipation. She wanted to know what he’d say when their bodies weren’t intertwined; when he wasn’t looking at her with desperation in his eyes. Here, he couldn’t use the heat of the moment as an excuse. And neither could she.

“What do you think?” There was a smile in his words, and she huffed, unsatisfied with his response. She felt him relax a little. “Don’t ask questions you can’t commit to. That four-letter word carries a lot of weight, you know,” he cautioned.

“I want you to tell me.” She stepped away from him, reaching up to cup his face, forcing him to look her square in the eyes. “I’ve never _seriously_ pressed you for an answer to anything else. But this I have to know. I don’t like playing games with my heart.”

He exhaled, and for a few seconds, neither of them said a word. She continued to stare stubbornly at him, and finally, he smiled and placed a finger against her lips.

“That’s something you’ll have to find out another time,” he whispered. He took a step back and she lunged for him, but she found herself falling forward, falling –

And then her eyes flicked open and she was gasping, her fingers fisting her blanket. Groaning, she let herself sink back into her bed, throwing a hand over her eyes. It was a dream. Nothing but a dream. She should have _known_ it was a dream from the very beginning – Solomon was never so gentle with her. But the dream felt so real.

She could remember every detail with vivid clarity. The way his silvery bangs fell over his eyes. The small, playful smile on his face. His _scent_ , the heady feeling of magic that always seemed to surround him. His room in Purgatory Hall, down to the colour of his walls and the placement of the furniture around them.

It was rare that she could recall her dreams this way. She usually began to forget things the moment she woke up, but she recalled the warmth of his hand on her face and she trembled, a little moan escaping her lips. Her chest was aching. She had it _bad_ for him. She hated to admit it even to herself, but she did.

This wasn’t the first time she had dreamt of him. But it was the first time she got sucked in this way. Usually, it was easy to figure out she was dreaming after a while. Most of her dreams involving Solomon were set in some kind of drug-fuelled, fantasy adventure that featured the demon brothers as fairy princesses or something.

But this one felt so… _real_. The way he spoke, the way he touched her and looked at her – it all felt like it was actually happening. Even the way he held back his responses was so realistic. The real Solomon would never give her an outright answer either.

She turned over in bed, burying her face in her pillow. She wasn’t sure how she would face the sorcerer tomorrow if she saw him, not when she wanted the dream version of him so _badly_. She groaned again. Why did her stupid brain have to come up with that?

They were just fucking around. It wasn’t anything serious. There were no feelings involved. She had to remember that because if she fell in love with Solomon, she was the only one who’d get hurt. He had never shown any sign of romantic interest in her, and she wasn’t the kind of person to fight a battle she couldn’t win.

But the thought of that left a strangely hollow feeling in her chest. She closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep. She prayed that she wouldn’t have another dream, but if she did then she hoped…part of her hoped that she’d see him again.

* * *

She yawned, slumping onto the table. She hadn’t been able to go back to sleep after she woke up last night, and it took everything she had not to doze off now.

It was funny because she was usually the one prodding Belphie awake at school, and now he was the one trying to keep her up, elbowing her every time she nodded off. Her ribs were starting to hurt. “I need coffee,” she muttered.

“Didn’t sleep well?” Belphie asked. She lifted her head slightly to look at him – his head was drooping too, but his eyes were still visible. She idly thought about what Lucifer would say if he saw them in this state. “You can always come to me, you know.”

“Maybe if I can’t sleep again tonight,” she said. “I had a weird dream.” Then she paused. “Can you get rid of dreams?” she asked, hoping he would say yes.

Belphie yawned. “I’m the Avatar of Sloth, not dreams. You’re going to need magic for that.” He rubbed his eyes. “Aren’t you friends with Solomon? Go ask him.”

She _would_ , but the thought of talking to Solomon now made her a little uncomfortable. “I’ll think about it.” She glanced at her notebook, the page she had opened up to for the lesson entirely blank. “Did you take down any notes?” she asked. Knowing Belphie, he probably hadn’t, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

He didn’t respond. She looked up and saw that his eyes were closed, his arms folded across his chest. Belphie had the amazing ability to fall asleep just about anywhere, no matter how uncomfortable the position might be. She wished she could get to sleep that quickly. With a quiet groan, she grabbed her pen and started to doodle on her notebook, hoping she wouldn’t miss her next class.

“Aren’t you supposed to be having lunch now?” She jumped, distracted from her doodling – Solomon and Simeon were standing next to her, and suddenly she felt very much awake. Simeon at least seemed concerned about her, but Solomon just looked amused. She glared at him. Her current state of exhaustion was entirely _his_ fault.

“Oh. Yeah,” she mumbled. It was lunchtime. Right. She poked Belphie, who just turned away from her, avoiding her finger. “Belphie. Wake up. We need to eat.”

“You all go ahead.” His voice was muffled, and she rolled her eyes. Trying to wake him up from a nap was an almost herculean task, but Belphie had barely eaten anything this morning and she couldn’t just let him _starve_ until dinner.

“There’s sushi in the canteen today,” she said. He didn’t turn around, but she could practically feel his interest, and she carried on. “You know, if we don’t go now then Beel might buy out _all_ the sushi, and there’s no guarantee he’ll save any for you.”

Beel only saved food when it was specifically requested of him. Belphie knew that too, which was probably the only reason he dragged himself up from his chair. “Fine,” he drawled, his voice heavy with sleep. “It better be good sushi. Last week was…bad.”

“You just didn’t like the fish. I thought it was delicious,” she said, sweeping her notebook into her bag. Belphie mumbled something inaudible as she slung her bag across her shoulders, glancing at the other two. “Want to join us for lunch?” she offered.

Simeon smiled. “Of course.” Solomon didn’t say anything, but she could feel him watching her and it made her skin prickle. “You look tired. Are you all right?”

“Yeah, just didn’t sleep too well last night.” She made sure not to look at Solomon as she spoke, afraid she’d forget what she wanted to say.

“Really? Neither did Solomon.” Simeon glanced at the silver-haired sorcerer, who just shrugged, looking away from them. Come to think of it, Solomon was being strangely quiet today. “Maybe it’s because the exams are coming up soon,” Simeon mused. “Please remember to eat and rest properly. The human body cannot function well under stress.”

“Isn’t it the same for angels?” she asked. “I don’t think stress is good for _anyone_.”

“That’s true, but I’m not particularly worried about the exams.” Simeon looked at Belphie, who was walking next to her, his hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes half-closed. She wouldn’t be surprised if he somehow managed to fall asleep _right here_. He’d probably just sleepwalk to the canteen. “Belphegor, how’s your revision coming along?”

“I’m not studying,” Belphie answered. “I just need to make sure my grades aren’t the worst among my brothers. And Mammon has never passed before, so…”

She held back a snort, and even Simeon smiled, though there was sympathy in his eyes.

The canteen was packed, but it didn’t take them long to find a table – Belphie got so annoyed about waiting around that he ended up lurking behind some demons, and when they hastily vacated their seats for him, she found yet another reason to be grateful that she was always in the company of the demon brothers.

“You all can wait here. I’ll get the food,” she offered, and Belphie immediately sat, dozing off at the table. She shook her head at him. “Anything you want to eat?”

“I’ll go with you.” It was the first time Solomon had spoken since she bumped into him, and she tensed, glancing at him – the sorcerer was smiling at her. She wanted to tell him to sit, but she didn’t have any real reason to say no, so she just shrugged and hoped he wouldn’t try to talk to her. “Simeon, what do you feel like having?”

“Just get me whatever you’re eating,” Simeon answered. Solomon nodded and they went off to buy lunch – he fell into step beside her and she held her breath, wondering if he’d try to speak to her. But the sorcerer remained silent.

It was so strange to be with Solomon and not talk to him. She was reminded of the first few weeks she knew him, the only other human student in the Devildom, how it had been so awkward to interact with him because he seemed to understand everything while she was completely clueless.

When had things changed between them? She couldn’t pinpoint a date, but one day they were practically strangers and the next she was reminiscing with him about all the things she missed in the human world. Maybe it was just because she started feeling a little homesick, and he was the only thing that reminded her of home.

“I’ve been thinking." She broke the silence as they waited in line, turning back to look at him. “You know a lot of spells, right? Do you have any that can get rid of dreams?”

He blinked at her. “Why? Did you have a nightmare?”

She frowned. “Not really. Kind of. I guess you could say so.” She didn’t want him to ask too many questions. “Just tell me if you can.”

“I can, but it’s an active spell – meaning I can’t just cast it on you now and let it take effect later,” he clarified when she raised an eyebrow at him. “If you want me to get rid of your dreams, then you’ll need to be asleep. And I have to be around you.”

She could immediately see how that might be a problem. It was highly unlikely she would be able to sneak Solomon into her room. She wasn’t even _sure_ if she wanted him in her room. It was supposed to be her sacred space, where she could get away from the sorcerer and try to sort out her feelings…the keyword being _try_.

In truth, she didn't dare to confront her emotions. She knew she felt _something_ for him, but her fear was an insurmountable barrier and the last thing she wanted was to fall for a man she couldn’t have. Still, it was difficult to remember this when he looked at her this way, his eyes questioning, his lips slightly parted. She thought about the Solomon from her dream last night and she averted her gaze, embarrassed.

“What if I took a nap in your room?” she asked, trying to think of a way to meet the conditions that didn’t involve him coming to the House of Lamentation.

“And would you dream if you’re just taking a nap?” he asked. The queue moved and she took a step forward. “To begin with, it’s pointless to cast a spell that removes dreams if you’re not already dreaming.”

She frowned. “Wait. So, not only do you have to watch me sleep, but you also have to wait until it _seems_ like I’m dreaming before you can use your magic?”

“That’s a good summary.” He yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. “If not, there are other spells that we can look at…but their possible side-effects range from amnesia to leaving you trapped in a coma, so let me know if you want to risk them.”

She definitely wasn’t taking those risks. Though she had to wonder if he was being serious about the spell. Its conditions were oddly specific. “Fine. Let’s go with the first one then. But before that, what do you want in exchange?”

A small smile curved his lips. “Nothing much. Just sate my curiosity. Tell me about this nightmare of yours.”

“No!” she blurted out, drawing the attention of a few others – she hastily clapped her hand over her mouth and Solomon blinked, looking surprised at her vehement objection. “I mean, no. I’d rather not talk about it. Is there anything else you want?”

“You know, telling me no just makes me more interested.” Solomon folded his arms across his chest, giving her a placid smile. “It’s that or nothing. You could always hope that the dream doesn’t return, but since you asked _me_ for help, I’m assuming that you really want this dream to go away.” He studied her and she bit her lip, considering her options. She could always lie about the dream…but she was pretty sure he could tell if she lied.

“Fine,” she ground out. “I’ll tell you after school, okay? Meet me after my last class. You know what time I end.” His satisfied smile made her want to punch him in the face. She’d have to come up with something convincing, but at least she had a few hours to work on her story. “Why are _you_ so tired, anyway? Don’t tell me you’re busy studying.”

“I am, actually.” Solomon placed his hand on her back, nudging her forward. “Is it that surprising?” he added, noticing the disbelief on her face. “I prefer to excel at everything I do, academics included. We _are_ students here, after all.”

“Yes, but…” She shook her head. “You? Studying? I can’t see that.” She shared a few classes with Solomon, and whenever she looked at the sorcerer, he was either half-asleep or simply not paying attention. Though his grades on their tests were always unfairly good. “What’s the _real_ reason you’re so tired today?”

“I feel attacked,” Solomon proclaimed. She rolled her eyes.

“Do you even need to study? I thought you lived through the Celestial War or something,” she said semi-jokingly – no one knew Solomon's exact age, though she had heard rumours that he was much older than he appeared.

“I’m not _that_ old.” Solomon frowned. “Am I? I can’t remember.” She had no idea if he was joking. He sounded too serious for it to be a joke.

She decided to put that aside for now. “Stop evading my question. We both know you’re not studying. I’ve never seen you look through _anything_ before our tests.”

“What if I said I was kept up because I couldn’t stop thinking of you?” he asked, and again he sounded so serious that she wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not.

“That’s _not_ true!” she exclaimed. She was almost certain she was blushing. “Would it kill you to give me a straight answer? Stop answering me with more questions!”

He grinned at her. “Here’s a decisive statement for you, then. You’re holding up the line.” She whipped around and saw the cashier staring at her, an annoyed look on his face. Embarrassed, she hurried forward, cursing Solomon under her breath.

That stupid, aggravating sorcerer could die for all she cared. She refused to be his plaything anymore. But she glanced over her shoulder and saw him watching her with an unreadable look in his eyes, and she felt her heart thud in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one will have two chapters, i'll probably get to the second one soonish?
> 
> i wanted to write some soft tender solomon but he's super uncooperative so here he is being gentle in a dream :(


	2. Chapter 2

Part of her hoped Solomon would forget about their agreement, but no such luck – when she left her final class of the day, he was standing there, waiting for her.

“Aren’t you a little too excited?” she mumbled, walking away from the classroom as he fell into step beside her. Solomon laughed, and she resisted the urge to peek at him. It was difficult enough to remember the story she had come up with – the last thing she needed was to get distracted by his smile.

She had decided to tell him about one of her old nightmares – one that she hadn’t dreamt about in ages but still unpleasant to remember. “I’m always excited to find out anything more about you,” he replied, and she wondered if he was being honest.

“You’re probably filing my secrets away so that you have ammunition to blackmail me with next time,” she said.

“Why would you think that?” Solomon gave her a look of hurt. She was pretty sure he was acting, but it was convincing enough that she couldn’t help but feel bad.

“Because that’s just the kind of person you are,” she answered. Solomon didn’t try to refute that, but he did reach for her elbow and pull her to one side – she yelped, stumbling over her feet as he dragged them into an empty classroom.

“What are you _doing_?” she hissed, trying to shake her arm free, but he didn’t let go of her until the door was closed behind them.

Instead of answering, he took a step towards her and her breath caught when she realised how _close_ he was. He had always been intense, but with the way his gaze was piercing her now, she couldn’t help but feel like he was looking into her very soul. Unconsciously, she backed away and felt herself bump into something.

The front desk. In the next second Solomon was right against her, his arms on either side of her waist, trapping her where she stood – she averted her gaze, trying not to look into his eyes, but it didn’t make her feel any less panicky. He was too close.

Her traitorous heart was racing in her chest and she was just glad that Solomon was a human, not a demon like the brothers because it would be so embarrassing if he knew just how nervous she was. “Seriously. What are you doing, Solomon?”

One of his hands slid up from the desk to her hip, and she swore she could feel the warmth of his fingers even through her skirt – she bit her lip, turning her head away. She couldn’t think straight. Her mind was foggy with emotion – was it panic or desire? She didn’t know. “What do you think I’m doing?” he whispered.

His breath fluttered against her neck as he lowered his head, pressing a soft kiss against her jaw, and the moan she had been holding back finally slipped out, her fingers fisting her skirt as Solomon murmured her name against her throat.

Their bodies were pressed up against each other, and he was so warm – she wanted to run her hands all over him, yank his shirt off and admire the sculpted lines of his gorgeous body. Clothes had never felt more unnecessary. “Solomon, we’re at the academy!” She clung to the faint thread of reason still present in her mind, though she gasped when he nipped at her, his teeth pressing gently into her skin.

He laughed, and she shivered when she felt the vibrations against her neck. “Isn’t that more exciting, _ahuvati_?” She blinked, distracted by what he just said – it was the first time she heard him say that, and she was about to ask him what it meant when he abruptly stepped away from her. She exhaled, feeling the sudden loss of his warmth so keenly that it _ached_. “But I don’t want you to get into trouble…”

“You’d be in trouble too if anyone caught us!” she pointed out, still leaning against the desk. She didn’t trust her legs to hold her up right now. “Don’t do that again. Not in public,” she hissed, and he shrugged, not looking in the least bit apologetic.

“Why don’t you tell me about your nightmare?” His eyes gleamed as he smiled, and she froze, her thoughts scattered all over the place – what story had she wanted to tell him? She couldn’t quite remember. All she could think about now was twining her fingers through his hair and dragging him closer so that she could kiss him.

Did he do this on purpose? He definitely did, that scheming, conniving little _weasel_ of a man – there was something almost gloating about his grin and she very much wanted to smack it off his face. “It was just a regular nightmare. I don’t know why you’re so hung up over it.” She hoped to somehow talk her way out of telling the truth, but Solomon shook his head and she sighed, frustrated at herself.

Just being touched by this man was enough to short-circuit her brain, and honestly, it was embarrassing. She was supposed to be strong. Independent. And here she was fawning over a stupid, _annoying_ sorcerer who dangled clues and half-truths in front of her, low-hanging fruit sweet enough to keep her coming back for more.

It was tiring. But she gave in anyway because she was an _idiot_. “Fine. I had a dream that featured someone I’d rather not see, all right? That’s all. The end.”

“That’s nowhere near enough detail.” She could see the amusement dancing in his eyes, and she glowered at him – he was enjoying this too much. “Who is this poor soul you want to avoid so desperately? At least tell me that much.”

 _You_. But she held her tongue. She was not going to give Solomon the satisfaction of knowing she had dreamt of him. He got under her skin easily enough in the waking world. Her dreams were supposed to be her haven _away_ from him.

“A childhood bully,” she finally lied. “I thought I’d forgotten about him, but I guess not. Like I told you, it’s nothing important.” She tried her best not to focus on the way he was looking at her, his yellow-blue eyes glimmering with curiosity.

“A bully?” he echoed. “How long ago was this?”

“I was a kid. It was more than a decade ago.” She shrugged, glancing at the clock behind him. How long had they been in this room? “And it’s not that I can’t handle those dreams, I just…I’d prefer not to have them if I could,” she added.

Solomon didn’t say anything for a moment. His expression was thoughtful, and she wondered what he was thinking – as the silence stretched on, she began to fidget. “Aren’t you going to say something?” she finally asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Hmm, what do you want me to say?” Solomon tilted his head. “That I know you’re lying? It won’t get us anywhere.” She stiffened, and he smiled at her. “You’re not a very good liar, you know. But go ahead, keep your secrets. I’ll help you anyway, since watching you try to come up with a story is entertaining enough in itself.”

“How did you know…?” She was so sure nothing had given her away. She didn’t blush, she didn’t stutter, she didn’t even look away from him. Plus, that had been a pretty convincing story if she said so herself. Solomon reached for her, and she felt his fingers brush against her cheek. A sigh escaped her lips at his touch.

“See?” he whispered. “You’re too honest. When you say one thing, your body says another.” He met her gaze. “You know what I adore the most about you?”

For a moment she forgot how to speak. _Adore_? She had to be mishearing things because there was no way Solomon just admitted that he adored her in any way, shape or form. Did he? She shook her head, and it felt like she couldn’t breathe.

His eyes softened. “I enjoy seeing the way your body sings so openly for me. No matter what words pour from your lips,” he leant closer, his murmur so quiet that she almost couldn’t hear him, “you can’t hide the way I make you feel.”

She wanted to retort. She wanted to say that wasn’t true, that he didn’t make her feel _anything_ at all because she didn’t want him to think he had any kind of hold over her, but then he cupped her cheek and tilted her head and his lips covered hers, and all the angry words in her mind dropped away.

It was so unfair. Being with him was _unfair_. She wanted to cry but she couldn’t, so instead, she slid her arms around his waist and pressed herself closer, hoping that she could just disappear into him and stop having to think so much all the time.

For once, Solomon was soft. His slender hands cradled her face and she savoured the moment because he was rarely ever so gentle. Suddenly, all the frustration and the teasing and their games felt worth it, because now she could stand here, and she could drown herself in him. Her fingers reached up, curling around his collar.

She wanted him all to herself. But before anything else could happen – she wasn’t sure what she’d have done, maybe try to take his clothes off – Solomon pulled away. “I’d love to continue _ahuvati_ , but like you said we’re still at the academy.”

There was a teasing lilt to his voice, and she frowned at him, her hands still gripping his collar. “You didn’t care about this the first time,” she said, part of her surprised that she could even string together a coherent sentence.

“Well, I care now.” He pried her hands away from his collar, but he lifted her right hand to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss against her knuckles. She bit her lip. “I’ll see what I can do about your dream tonight. Come to my room in the evening.”

“But I’ll need to go back to the House of Lamentation before it gets too late,” she answered, confused. “You know what Lucifer is like whenever I stay out.”

“Trust me. I have a plan,” he said, and she found herself nodding. “Good. I’ll see you later – there’s something I need to do first.”

They parted ways after they walked out of the classroom, and as she went back to her room, she wondered what exactly the sorcerer had in mind.

* * *

“Are you sure that’s going to work?” she asked, concerned. From here, she could see Asmo holding her hand as he walked back to the House of Lamentation.

Except that it wasn’t her. It was a magical clone of her, one that Solomon promised would disappear within a few hours. She turned away from the window, still feeling drained. Creating that clone apparently required some of her energy, and while she figured she’d be a little tired afterwards, she didn’t expect it to hit _this_ hard.

“The brothers won’t suspect a thing. Asmo is a much better actor than you think he is,” Solomon answered. She pursed her lips but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure whether this ruse would be enough to trick Lucifer, but it wasn’t like they had other options. Solomon sighed. “Why, you don’t think my magic can fool a demon?”

“No! It’s not that!” She had seen first-hand how good he was with illusions. He was able to fool even Mammon, once convincing the demon to run an errand for him by promising him a few gold bars. After Mammon gave Solomon the candies he had asked for, Solomon handed over the gold bars, and not even an hour later they all transformed into lumps of coal. _Fool’s gold_ , Solomon explained to her as Mammon freaked out over his missing reward. _A common enchantment, but quite useful_.

But this was _Lucifer_ they were talking about. Lucifer was nothing like Mammon. She didn’t doubt that Asmo was a good actor, but the fact remained that her clone was barely able to speak a complete sentence. No amount of acting could hide that.

“If Asmo can get your clone to your room without bumping into anyone else, then there’s nothing to worry about. Belphegor knows you’re tired too, right? They just have to say you’re sleeping, so you won’t join them for dinner. It’s simple enough.”

When he put it like that it did sound like she was worrying too much. She sighed, collapsing onto his bed. “Then I’ll spend the night here?” Just saying the words sent a thrill through her. Sharing a bed with _Solomon_ …sure, she had slept on his bed before, but staying overnight was another thing altogether.

“Yes. Unless you want to sleep in one of the other rooms? We have lots of space in Purgatory Hall,” Solomon said. She hastily shook her head, and he smiled, pushing her fringe away from her eyes. “Sleep. I’ll help you get rid of your nightmares.”

She curled up on his bed, while Solomon remained seated at his desk, reading a book. She turned her head slightly, inhaling the familiar scent that lingered on his pillow, on his blanket, on everything, and a sudden feeling of peace washed over her. “Don’t you want to come to bed?” she mumbled, her eyelids drooping.

“I might fall asleep if I do. Or worse.” He didn’t look up from his book, and she was unable to find the energy to ask what _worse_ meant. She let her eyes close, and she thought she might have fallen asleep, but she wasn’t sure because all of a sudden, she was wide awake. She was still in Solomon’s room, and he was here too, but he was no longer reading. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed and watched her.

“Solomon?” She reached for him, and he caught her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. His skin was cold, and he was frowning. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I didn’t know you’d want to get rid of _me_.” He met her gaze, and he looked hurt. She didn’t know what to say – any other time she might have thought he was just faking it, but the shimmer of emotion in his eyes looked uncomfortably real.

“No, I don’t. I’d never want to get rid of you,” she answered. She tried to touch his face, but his other hand seized her wrist, preventing her from reaching him. “Don’t you trust me?” she asked. He looked away from her, and she felt her chest ache.

“I don’t know why I was even surprised,” he murmured, talking more to himself than to her. “It’s not like I didn’t expect this. Whenever you think you’ve found someone you can trust, they’ll invariably find ways to let you down. But I thought…”

His voice trailed off and he exhaled, looking up at the ceiling. She followed his gaze and realised that instead of his room’s ceiling, she could see the night sky outside. The stars sparkled all over the dark canopy, and the moon hung low and full. She wasn’t sure if this was the Devildom’s sky or some other realm’s, but it was lovely to behold and she was awed by how bright, how coldly beautiful the stars were.

“What did you think?” she probed, tearing her eyes away from the constellations to look at Solomon. The sorcerer kept his gaze fixed on the night sky, though he let go of her wrist. Her hand fell limply onto the bed.

“I thought I finally found someone who wanted me for who I was.” Solomon’s voice was even, but his words were heart-breaking.

“I do. I do want you.” This was all a dream, wasn’t it? The night sky, the coldness of his skin, the fact that she felt so very much _awake_. “I thought that was obvious.”

“Then why did you call me a nightmare?” He turned his head, looking at her. “Why do you want to get rid of me? I don’t understand what you want from me.”

She felt a sudden prick of irritation. Here he was, sitting right in front of her, saying that he didn’t know what she wanted him to do – what about _her_ , then? What about the weeks and months she had spent trying to decipher his cryptic words and vague answers? What about all the times she asked him a question, just to get it deflected with placid smiles and half-truths? Solomon didn’t have _any_ right to say this to her.

“I don’t want to hear that coming from you!” she exclaimed. His eyes widened, but she barrelled on before he could interrupt and make her lose her nerve. “I try my hardest to understand you, but _you’re_ the one who’s always pushing me away. You won’t tell me anything about yourself, even though you expect me to answer all your questions. And you won’t even admit how you feel about me!”

She hadn’t intended for that last part to slip out, but she wasn’t in the mood to try and backtrack now. “All I’ve ever done is bare my heart to you and you won’t even give me a chance to know the _real_ you. You can paint a pretty picture of yourself Solomon, but you don’t know how to let your guard down around _anyone_.”

It felt good to just let that all out. Solomon stared at her, and the look of surprise on his face was enough to make her feel satisfied. But as he continued to stay silent, she began worrying that she had said too much. “Are you…are you okay?”

He shook his head. “You’ve kept that in for a long while, haven’t you?” he said, a familiar lilt back in his voice. She narrowed her eyes at him, preparing for another rant – this time about how annoying his sarcasm was – but then he leant in so that their faces were mere inches apart, and the words died on her tongue.

“I _want_ to let you into my mind and soul, _ahuvati_. And I will,” he promised, his voice huskier than usual, and she desperately wanted to believe – she wanted to close the gap between them and sink into him again, allow him to brand his touch onto her skin. “But now isn’t the right time. I know you’re frustrated, and I will make it up to you someday. Just not now.” She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. “Will you wait for me?” His voice softened, becoming little more than a whisper.

“Yes. Yes, I will,” she answered, reaching for his face, and he groaned, allowing her to pull him towards her for a kiss. It was the kind that made her toes curl – Solomon seemed not to care about holding back at all today, and she whimpered his name as he pressed his lips against her throat, his fingers dancing across the parts of her which yearned for his touch. It didn’t take long before she was a trembling mess, arching into his hands, begging him to take her. And take her he did.

When her eyes suddenly flew open, the room was dark and she was panting, her skin flushed. She could feel someone’s arms wrapped around her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Solomon, his eyes closed, his expression peaceful.

There was something precious about how vulnerable he was while asleep. How he curled up around her with his arms looped protectively around her waist. She was sure this was the first time she saw him sleeping around her – even if they took a nap together, he was always the first one to wake up. She managed to turn so that she faced him, and she stroked his cheek, her fingers gently tracing his jawline.

He moaned at her touch, and his lips curved into the tiniest smile. Her heart melted, and she leant up to kiss him. If only moments like these could last forever.

She thought about the Solomon in her dream and wondered if he was real. He _had_ sounded real. He even talked about her getting rid of him. But that could just be her guilty conscience speaking. She eyed the sleeping sorcerer, curious.

Did he really cast a spell to get rid of her nightmare? If so, why did she still dream of him? But she didn’t want to wake Solomon up just to ask about that, so she closed her eyes and snuggled against him. She could always ask him tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdhajdjs SOFT. SOLOMON. u wil never get him again

**Author's Note:**

> yell at me on [twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/dontenchantme)


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